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The Other Mrs. Child

by Amy Sherman

on 02/22/08 at 01:36 PM

"Lydia Maria Child (nee Francis)...was a teacher, prolific writer, religious scholar, radical abolitionist, early feminist, and a cookbook writer," according to The Old Foodie. Married to an unsuccessful lawyer, Mrs. Child wrote a very popular book, The American Frugal Housewife, Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy, in 1829. It was reprinted many times and became a significant source of income for the Childs.

Didn't know there was another Mrs. Child? Neither did I, but that's the kind of fascinating historical tidbit you'll learn from The Old Foodie. Based in Brisbane, Australia, the "old foodie" who is not really old, is an amateur food historian who blogs about interesting events, personalities, menus and recipes from the past.

I love culinary history. One of my favorite blogs is Cooked Books; it's run by a librarian who manages the culinary collection for the New York Public Library. She posts fascinating tidbits of culinary history.